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LostInParadise's avatar

Is "borrowing" the most appropriate term when used to subtract one number from another?

Asked by LostInParadise (31915points) October 26th, 2017

It made sense to me as a kid, but now that I am teaching arithmetic to an adult, it makes no sense at all. For example, in doing 34 – 6, we are not going to ever give back the 1 we are taking from the 3 to combine with the 4 to make 14. Theft would be more accurate.

The reverse operation of borrowing is carrying when doing addition. If we add 6 to 28, we now carry 1 to combine with the 2. I don’t mind the term carry. The ones column carries its surplus over to the tens column. Instead of borrowing, could we call it carrying back? Any other ideas? For those of you who speak other languages, is the equivalent term for borrowing used, or do they use some other term?

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